Self-righting and walking pull toy



March 31, 1953 K. o. VALASEK SELF-RIGHTING AND WALKING PULL TOY less than between the side faces.

Patented Mar. 31, 1953 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-RIGHTING'AND WALKING PULL TOY Karel 0. Valasek, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 16, 1948, Serial No. 65,624

' 2 Claims.

. 1 I This invention is directed to self-righting toys. 'The principal object of this invention isto provide a self-righting toy which is adapted to spin on its verticalaxis, which is adapted to tilt predominantly forwardly and rearwardly and which is adapted to be propelled forwardly in a wobbling fashion to simulate walking. Preferably, the self-righting toy is constructed to give the appearance of a figure of a person, animal or the like so that the forward wobbling thereof, simulating walking, becomes very realistic.

The self-righting toy, in addition to providing amusement for children, is particularly adaptable for incorporation into advertising displays for relating a sales story. For example, an intermittent breeze may be blown full upon the toy to cause it to bow forwardlyand rearwardly or a continuousbreeze may be blown on one side of the toy to cause it to spin. The toy may also be placed on a treadmill and held from moving therewith by a cord fastened to the front face thereof, thereby imparting a wobbling action thereto simulating walking.

Preferably, the self-righting toy of this invention includes a body having front, rear and side faces terminating in a rounded bottom for supporting the toy. The thickness of the toy between the front and rear faces is preferably It is preferably constructed and ornamented to give the appearance of a figure of a person, animal or the like. A weight is secured in the rounded bottom of the body for self-righting the toy on its rounded bottom when tilted and for permitting spinning of the toy on its rounded bottom about its vertical axis. The degree of curvature of the rounded bottom between the side faces isless than that between the front and rear faces so that tilting of the toy is confined predominantly to forward and rearward tilting. The weight is preferably elongated with the long axis thereof extending between the side faces to operate in conjunction with the different degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom to aid in confining predominantly the tilting ofthe toy to forward and rearward tilting. Preferably the rounded bottom of the body is provided with an elongated relatively flat surface with the long axisofthe surface extending between the side faces. This relatively flat surface operates to stabilize the toy and operates in conjunction with the elongated weight and the difieringdegrees of curvature of the rounded bottom to further aid in confining the tilting of the toy predominantly to forward and rearward tilting.

Means are also provided on the front face of the toy for securing a cord thereto for propelling the toy forwardly and for tilting the toy slightly forward. The propelling and tilting action afforded by the cord operates in conjunction with the differing degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom of the toy, the relatively flat surface thereof and the elongated weight to impart a wobbling action to the toy as it is propelled forwardly to simulate walking. In addition to walking on a flat surface the toy may be made to climb over objects in a Walking fashion merely by using the cord for pulling the toy over the objects. 7

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims, and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the selfrighting toy of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially alon the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the self-righting toy illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the selfrighting toy illustrating the wobbling action simulating walking as the self-righting toy is forwardly propelled;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the self-righting toy climbing over an object;

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating another form of the rounded bottom of the toy.

The self-righting toy of this invention is generally designated at 10 and it includes a body II which is preferably hollow. The body may be made in two halves and secured together and may be made from plastic or similar material. The body has a front face I2, a rear face l3 and side faces l4 and preferably the distance between the front and rear faces is less than that between the side faces. The front, rear and side faces terminate in a, rounded bottom l5 for supporting the self-righting toy. The degree of curvature of the rounded bottom I5 between the side faces is less than that between the front and rear faces as is seen by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2. As illustrated in Figure 2, the curvature of the rounded bottom is parabolic and the rounded bottom is preferably provided with an elongated relatively flat surface It.

The inside of the body is provided with a partition I! for receiving an elongated weight l8, the partition operating to secure the weight in the rounded bottom of the toy.

The front face [2 of the toy is provided with means for securing a cord thereto, comprising an eye 20 through which a cord 2| is inserted and held in place in the eye by a knot 22.

The weight [8 in the rounded bottom of the toy operates to self-right the toy when it is tilted and also operates to permit spinning of the toy on its rounded bottom about its vertical axis.

1 'since the degree of curvature of the rounded bottoy is confined predominantly to forward and rearward tilting. Thus, the self-righting toy when provided with a configuration and ornamentation. representative of 'a figure of 'a person or the like provides'a forwardand rearward bowing.

The elongated weight [8 has its long axis extending between the side faces and operates, in conjunction with the different degrees of'curvature of the rounded bottom also to confine predominantly the tilting action to forward and rearward tilting. The relatively 'flatsurface operates to stabilize the toy and in addition operates in conjunction with the elongated weight for the different degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom for predominantly confining the tilting'action to forward and rearward tilting. Preferably, the relatively flat surface is not completely fiat so that the toy may spin upon its vertical axis.

When the cord 2| is pulled the self-righting toy is tilted slightly forward as it is propelled along a surface. This slightforward tilting operates in conjunction with the differing degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom, the elongated weight and the relatively fiat surface to cause the self-righting toy to wobblefrom side to side. This wobbling action of the toy as it is beingforwardly propelled is illustrated at 25 in Fig.4 and simulates walking. This simulation is, particularly pronounced when the toy is ornamented to appear as a figure of a person, animal or the like.

In addition to walking or wobbling forwardly on a level surface, the toy appears toclimb over objects such as an object 26 illustrated in Fig.. 5 when it is drawnby the cord 2| over such an object. Here again the walking and climbing action is extremely realistic.

Figure 6 illustrates a slight modification of the form of the toy illustrated in Figure 2, in that the curvature of the rounded bottom between the front and rearfaces is made circular rather than parabolic. However, the toy of Fig.6 operates in substantially the same way as that of Fig. 2. Obviously other degrees of curvature may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

In addition to the toy being propelled forwardly in a walking fashion by pulling on the, cord 2|, the toy may be spun about its vertical axis by manually spinning the same or by applying a breeze to one side of the relatively flat faces thereof. The toy may be also caused to bow forwardly and rearwardly by manually manipulating it or by applying an intermittent breeze full upon its face or rear. The toy in addition to providing a great deal of enjoyment to children is well adapted for use in advertising programs for relating a selling story. A number of toys may be grouped in an advertising display and operated in different ways for acting out an advertising tableau.

While for purposes of illustration, one form of this invention has been disclosed, otherforms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon referenceto this disclosure and therefore this invention is to be limited'only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A self-righting toy adapted tospin or tilt predominantly forwardly and rearwardly. or to be propelled forwardly in a wobbling fashion simulating walking comprising,.a body having front, rear and side faces terminating ..:in. a; rounded bottom for supporting the toy, the thickness of the toy between the front and rear faces being less than between the side faces, the degree of curvature of the. rounded bottom between the :sidefaces being less thanthat-lbetweenthe front and rear faces, and an elongated weight transversely secured in the rounded bottom of the body .for.self-righting the toy on its rounded bottom whentilted and for permitting spinning of the toy on git'srounded bottom about its vertical axis, the long axis of the elongated weight extending "between theside faces and operating in conjunction with the different degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom to confine predominantly the tilting to forward and rearward tilting, and means on the frontf'ace of the bodyradjacent and below the center thereof. for securing a cord thereto. for propelling. thetoy forwardly andifor tilting slightly the toy forwardlyand operatingin conjunction with theelongated weight and the differing curvatures of therounded bottom of the body to cause the. toy to wobblev forwardly simulating walking.

2. A self-rightingtoy adapted tospin ortilt predominantlyv forwardly and rearwardly or to be propelled forwardly in a .wobbling. fashion simulating walking comprising, .a body having front, rear and side faces terminating in arounded bottom for supportingthe toy, the thickness of the toy between the. frontand rear faces being less than between the. side, faces, the degree of curvature .of the-rounded bottom. between the side faces being less than that. between thefront and rear faces, an elongated weight transversely secured in the rounded bottom of the body for self-righting the toy on its rounded bottom when tilted and for permitting spinning of the toy on its rounded bottom about its verticalaxis, the long axis of the elongated weight extending between the side faces and operating .in conjunction with the different degreesof curvature of the rounded bottom-to confine. predominantly the tilting to forward and rearward tilting, the rounded bottom of the body being centrally provided with an elongated relatively flat surface for stabilizing the toy and with the long axis of the surface extending between the side faces, and the long axis of the elongated weight extending between the side faces and operating in conjunction with the relative fiat surface and the different degrees of curvature of the rounded bottom to confine, predominantly the tilting to forward and rearward tilting, and means on the front face of the body adjacent and below the center thereof for securing a cord thereto for propelling the toy forwardly and for. tilting slightly the toy forwardly and operating in conjunction with the elongated weight and the relatively flat surface and differing curvatures of the rounded bottom. of the body to cause the toy to wobble forwardly simulating walking.

.KAREL O. VALASEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 790,660 Prior May 23, 1905 1,242,820 Levay et al. oct. 9, 1917 1,425,945 Congdon Aug. 15, 1922 1,630,137 Ruwwe May24, 1-927 1,846,393. Hankins,. .Feb. -25, 1932 

